Workability

The term workability is used in therapy settings by ACT therapists and it underlies the entire ACT model. I first heard the term when completing an online training with Dr. Russ Harris and the following concepts all stem from his (and other ACT therapists') insights on the subject. 

So what exactly is workability? Well, it's best described as the following question:

Is what you're doing bringing you towards a rich, full and meaningful life?

This question can be applied as a larger scale look at your current life, but I find it's even more relevant when looking at an individual action or decision. It can be used when making decisions about a job, a relationship, what to buy at the grocery store, when to go to bed, how to manage your finances, how to treat yourself, how to treat others, what to spend your time on... you get the idea.

The concept of workability rests on the assumption that most of us ultimately want a life that is rich, full and meaningful. Therefore if the answer to the above question is a yes in any given scenario, then that's wonderful and it makes sense to keep doing what you're doing. If the answer is a no, then it's worth considering an alternative option that would shift it to yes. 

It can be easy to make those choices towards yes when an action feels good in both the short and the long term. But an important caveat to the above question is that when we talk about a rich, full and meaningful life, we're talking about that life long-term. This means in the short term, sometimes the decisions we need to make would be temporarily unpleasant, such as completing assignments in school, going to bed early or cleaning our bathrooms. This can be very challenging and a big barrier to making decisions that lead us towards the life we want. In some cases it will likely require a willingness to experience some "short term pain for long term gain." In other cases, it may be a relatively easy decision that both current and long-term you will be happy with.

This caveat also means that taking actions to avoid or get rid of unpleasant thoughts and feelings in the moment (such as misuse of substances, distractions, procrastinating on important tasks, shopping sprees, etc.) may ultimately lead us away from the life we want in the long-term, even though it may be the most pleasant option in that moment. That can be a tough decision to make, especially when we're already feeling tired, upset or angry. Habits and practice can make these decisions easier as time goes on.

There is no right or wrong way to have a rich, full and meaningful life. We each define what that might look like for ourselves based on our values and what's important to us. As long as long-term you would answer the workability question with a yes, then that's the right decision for you!

Ultimately, reflecting on our values in this way can help us make decisions that serve us. It helps us develop our internal compass and helps us step out of self-defeating behaviours. Tapping into this concept of workability, take a moment to consider some of the decisions you make in a day. What life are those decisions leading you to?

If you would like to address the workability of your own decisions and actions, consider reaching out to an ACT therapist for support.